Colorado Rockies / MLB

Jhoulys Chacin aims for his best season as a Rockies pitcher

Jhoulys Chacin provided some rare rays of sunshine late in the Rockies' lost season of 2012. He returned to the rotation in August and had a 2.84 ERA the rest of the way. ( AAron Ontiveroz, Denver Post file)

Jhoulys Chacin arrived at spring training last February as a weight-and-see proposition, stung by management's criticism of his conditioning. He promptly shrank from the moment, undermined by an odd pectoral injury.

A year later, everything is different.

He parlayed intense rehabilitation, an encouraging finish and a strong winter into a two-year, $6.5 million contract. What should follow, Chacin said, is his best season, the type of statement performance that will make the club take seriously his wish to play his entire career in Denver.

"It really means so much that they trusted me like this. When a multiyear contract came up, I told my agent I wanted to do it," said Chacin, who has one year of salary arbitration remaining in 2015.

Troy E. Renck and Patrick Saunders add analysis and notes to this blog focussing on the Colorado Rockies.

"I love the people and city of Denver. This gives me peace of mind. I want to be with the Rockies for my entire career."

First-year manager Walt Weiss, perhaps with white knuckles crossed, is counting heavily on the 25-year-old to rebound. The opportunity exists for the right-hander to become the staff ace, possibly even start on opening day.

"I think the next step for him, as it is for a lot of big-leaguers, is consistency," Weiss said. "It's about putting together numerous starts, and that's easier said than done. But he has a bit of a track record and has dominated some good lineups for a period of time."

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There was doubt last May if Chacin could ever again stick in the rotation for an entire season. He hit bottom with a thud on May 1, falling to 0-3 with a 7.30 ERA, leaving him with three wins in his past 21 starts. Chacin wasn't himself. Gone were his confidence and fastball command. Multiple exams finally revealed a nerve issue in his right pectoral muscle, explaining what he referred to as a "dead arm."

"When I think back to last year, I don't worry about it anymore. My arm didn't have pain, but there was no energy there," Chacin said. "Baseball is hard when you are 100 percent. It's really hard when you are 50 percent. I feel strong again."

While his fall was stunning in its swiftness, his redemption was slow and pragmatic, culminating with a busy offseason. Three months of rotator cuff exercises and deep tissue massage were followed by laborious rehab assignments. He returned to the Rockies' rotation in August, posting a 2.84 ERA over the final six weeks, providing a flickering bulb in a season that much earlier had faded to darkness. That he continued to pitch effectively at Coors Field, where he owns a career 4.18 ERA, wasn't lost on the Rockies.

"Even though he's a young guy, he has some battle scars," Weiss said. "Having success at our place and in the division gives us something to hold on to."

After a brief stint in winter ball, Chacin talked with former big-league pitcher Wilson Alvarez, another Maracaibo, Venezuela, product. On his advice, Chacin said he traveled to Sarasota, Fla., to work out. A trip to the Dominican Republic followed. He threw alongside Jorge De La Rosa and Juan Nicasio with general manager Dan O'Dowd and director of major-league operations Bill Geivett in attendance.

"The way I feel now is how I felt two years ago," said Chacin, referring to the start of the 2011 season that nearly resulted in an all-star berth. "I can be that guy again."

Learning from his struggles is critical. Chacin was not part of the four-man rotation, but the 75-pitch count taught him a valuable lesson.

"When you only have a limited number of pitches, you can't worry about strikeouts," said Chacin, who admittedly fell in love with his slider early in his career as a swing-and-miss pitch. "If you want to pitch well in Denver, you have to throw to contact. Get outs quickly. I know I can do that."

Venezuelan officials would love for Chacin to pitch in the World Baseball Classic. But his new relationship with his old club makes it unlikely.

"The Rockies have shown so much confidence in me," Chacin said. "After a really rough year, they believe in me. I am really happy about everything and ready to show them the pitcher I can be."

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